Utah Jazz: Four power forward options in the 2019 NBA Draft

Simi Shittu

Unlike Paschall, Simi Shittu is a Freshman. He committed to Vanderbilt, but the team has severely under-performed, partly due to Darius Garland being out for the season. Shittu could definitely use some more polishing, however, will he want to return to Vanderbilt after losing so many games? The prize at the end of the finish line is the NBA for many young players. I’m not sure if Shittu would be willing to return to Vanderbilt if he has a chance at getting drafted.

That being said, Shittu’s stock has dropped a bit. However, when you’re looking at potential, he’s one of the more intriguing bigs in the draft. He moves extremely well for his size – looking like a guard when he’s on the fast-break. With those guard skills, Shittu instantly becomes an intriguing option.

His quickness will help him while he improves his three-point shot. He can catch, fake and blow right by his defender. His shot needs a lot of work – he’s shot five percent from three with Vanderbilt. Yes, five percent. 1-of-18.  He’s also shooting just under 60 percent from the foul line. He’s obviously confident enough to take some threes, so at least he isn’t a dreadful shooter.

I really like Shittu as a prospect. I think he can help a team right away despite being a Freshman because physically, he’s ahead of schedule. He’s big, strong and is just very skilled. If I’m the Jazz, I’d have some serious interest in Shittu if he decides to go pro after his Freshman season.